ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Incisive pace bowling from West Indies Test bowler Kemar Roach and former West Indies Under-19 World Cup winner Odean Smith were the main highlights in the West Indies Championship on Thursday.

Roach grabbed 4-28 from 18 overs to put five-time defending champions and current leaders Guyana Jaguars under pressure in the headline match in Bridgetown on the first day of second round matches in the Championship.

Sound batting from Hodge and Smith was followed by an unbroken stand of 66 for the sixth wicket between former West Indies Under-19 captain Emmanuel Stewart and Keron Cottoy that put Volcanoes in a formidable position against Scorpions.

Hodge has so far hit the top score of 88, Smith made 77, Test batsman Kirk Edwards got 29 and opener Desron Maloney added 26 to lay the foundation for the Volcanoes.

But Stewart, not out on 46, and Cottoy, not out on 29, batted through an hour and 15 minutes until the close to break the spirits of the Scorpions, after they won the toss and were kept in the field for the whole day.

Pacer Derval Green has been the most successful Scorpions bowler with 3-58 from 20 overs.

Roach announced his return to action with a destructive spell for Pride that had the Jaguars reeling early on 14 for three inside the first half-hour, after they were put into bat.

But left-handed opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, son of former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, anchored the fight-back for Jaguars with obdurate batting and remained not out on 66 when stumps were drawn.

He shared 53 for the fourth-wicket with Christopher Barnwell and 81 for the seventh-wicket with newcomer Kevin Sinclair that added beef to the Jaguars total.

Chanderpaul was fortunate on nine though, when second slip fielder Jonathan Carter floored a straightforward chance off former West Indies Under-19 World Cup winning pacer, Chemar Holder.

Four deliveries later in the same over, Holder again was the suffering bowler, when Pride captain and West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite dropped Barnwell, on 24, at first slip.

Later in the day, Chanderpaul turned Holder to fine leg for a single to reach his 50 from 201 balls in five hours at the crease, but he gained another reprieve, when he got into a mix-up with Sinclair and both batsmen ended up at the bowler’s end.

Anxious Pride fielders, however, failed to relay the ball to wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich and both batsmen survived to frustrate the hosts.

An unbroken stand of 71 for the second wicket between West Indies Test batsman Darren Bravo and former West Indies Under-19 opener Keagan Simmons fortified Red Force’s early hold on this contest, after Smith led their bowling.

Bravo, not out on 36, and Simmons, not out on 32, came together after Sheno Berridge had left-handed opener Jeremy Solozano caught behind for one early on and batted through until the close to give Red Force the ascendancy.

Smith rocked the Hurricanes early with the scalps of Test batsman Kieran Powell and former captain Devon Thomas cheaply.

Hurricanes stumbled to 26 for three before their captain Jahmar Hamilton hit 55 and shared 51 for the fourth wicket with Keacy Carty and 45 for the fifth wicket T&T-born left-hander Amir Jangoo to add some respectability to the innings.

Carty made 27 and Jangoo got 17, but Hurricanes required a cavalier 35 not out from West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph to get them past 150.